Researchers at IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia fabricated an artificial device reproducing a 1:1 scale model of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the anatomical and functional structure that protects the central nervous system from external toxins, but which also screens drugs when they are injected intravenously. The device, which is a combination of artificial and biological components, is fundamental for studying new therapeutic strategies to overcome blood-brain barrier and treat brain conditions such as tumors.